Nuclear Energy

inflows of foreign capital (also known as Foreign Direct Investment or FDI) to keep it afloat, that
is, to prevent a recurrence of the financial collapse of 1990-91.
3. Worsening Environmental Crisis
With the Indian government desperate to implement the most destructive projects, so that
FDI can flow in, the country is heading into an environmental catastrophe. We have extensively
discussed the terrible environmental destruction caused by nuclear plants in this book. But apart
from that, the numerous other projects being implemented in the country are also going to cause
enormous environmental ruin, the signs of which are already very evident: the increasing
contamination of air and surface waters with industrial pollutants, the contamination of fresh water
fish and ocean fish with mercury and numerous industrial organic chemicals, the pollution of
groundwater with pesticides and other contaminants of chemical intensive agriculture, the
accelerating depletion of groundwater levels all over the country, the extensive destruction of
forests, soil degradation which is threatening agricultural productivity of large areas in the country,
etc. dccxxxi (These problems are actually a part of the growing environmental crisis gripping planet
Earth itself, resulting from similar policies being implemented by most countries in the world. But
we confine our discussion to India, because that is where we can act to bring about a change.) As
these problems worsen, they are going to affect survival of life itself – and the timetable is shorter
than earlier thought!
The fundamental reason for this growing environmental disaster is the inherent logic of
capital which is playing itself out as capitalist globalisation advances. For capitalists, whether they
be foreign or Indian, environment is not a place with inherent boundaries where human beings live
together in harmony with other species and which is to be conserved for future generations.
Capitalists are not bothered about the future, they are only concerned with maximising their profits
in the present. For them, the environment is a just another realm to be exploited as they go about
seeking to maximise their profits. If in the process, the environment is destroyed, so be it.
Part III: Unite and Fight, to Save the Future
The solution to this growing economic and environmental crisis is not to replace one
political party with another, for they are all the same, all are lackeys of the country's elites, all are
in agreement on the issue of globalisation.
People are Beginning to Stir...
The people have been waging heroic struggles against the destructive projects being
implemented in the country. The tribals and small farmers of Orissa, Chattisgarh and Jharkhand are
waging heroic struggles against giant corporations like Vedanta, POSCO (South Korea, actually
USA) and the Tatas who are seeking to take over their lands and destroy their livelihoods. The
people of Goa got together to force the state government to cancel all the SEZs in the state. The
people of 22 affected villages of Maha Mumbai SEZ which was going to be set up by Reliance in
Raigad district of Maharashtra launched a determined struggle, refusing to part with their lands,
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